He Is Able, But If Not...
My wife has been dealing with some health issues the past couple of months. It has, at times, been frustrating as we wait for answers and the unpredictability of when the nauseous feelings, headaches and numbness take over.A simple night with friends turns into an early departure because of headaches. Date night turns into falling asleep to a movie at home because the nauseous feeling is tiring. Owning a business turns into wondering if she can make it through each hour and how she will feel the next hour.I would be lying if I said I knew why she was going through this. And I would be lying if I could pinpoint how God is receiving glory through it. I choose not to exhaust myself in trying to figure out that answer.
Related Post: Having All of the Answers is Dangerous
Through all the frustrations and sickness, we choose to find hope in knowing that God can heal and deliver her from her sickness.
He is able, but if not
I am reminded that God is in control. He has overcome our sin and sickness in the torment of his own body and that “by his wounds, you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) Through faith in God, we are promised healing. While God can certainly heal on this side of heaven, our unwavering hope is knowing a day will come when we are fully healed. And for that truth, we will praise Him!
He is able, but if not
When King Nebuchadnezzar demanded Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to worship his gods and the golden image, they answered him, “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us form the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)
He is able, but if not
Paul also “pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). Before Paul pleaded with the Lord, he acknowledged that a thorn was given him to keep him from becoming conceited. God then says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Whatever the furnace, whatever the thorn, whatever the sickness. Our God whom we serve is certainly able to deliver us.
But if not
We will not serve other gods. We will not worship any image that has been set up that is not the image of God! We'll serve our healer of sickness. We will serve our deliverer of pain. We will serve the One in whom all our hope is in.